India, April 20 -- A Haridwar court has acquitted Jitendra Tyagi alias Wasim Rizvi in the 2021 Dharam Sansad hate speech case on grounds of "benefit of doubt".

The court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Avinash Kumar Srivastava acquitted Tyagi on April 16.

In December 2021, during a three-day Dharam Sansad organised at Niketan Ashram at Khadkhadi in Haridwar, some seers delivered alleged hate speeches against the Muslim community and the videos of them went viral on social media.

The speeches drew widespread criticism including the Haridwar-based apex body of akhadas- Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad saying "Sanatan Dharma never endorses violence against other religions and always advocates love and peace."

A case was registered again...